Innovations in Financing Mechanisms for Demand Driven Agricultural Advisory Services: Evolution of the Danish model

The study describes the historic development of the Danish Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS). This is the case of a national advisory system owned and managed by the farmer organizations and financed with public subsidies combined with farmer/user payments, gradually developed to full user payment. The links and relations between the empowerment of farmers and their organizations, their evolving roles in advisory systems, and the innovative financial mechanisms in extension, especially pull-mechanisms, are analyzed. The study also looks at the effectiveness and impact of the advisory system, advice and accountability of advisory services to small-scale male and female producers. It draws out lessons learned from this that can relate to other countries engaged in reforming their advisory services.